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The Lawfare Podcast

Lawfare Daily: Deplatforming Works, with David Lazer and Kevin Esterling

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

International Law, Government, Military, Rule Of Law, International Relations, History, News, Terrorism, Politics, Law, Intelligence, National Security, Foreign Policy, Constitutional Law, Diplomacy, Current Events

4.76.4K Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2024

⏱️ 53 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the runup to Jan. 6, lies and falsehoods about the supposed theft of the 2020 election ran wild on Twitter. Following the insurrection, the company took action—abruptly banning 70,000 users who had promoted misinformation on the platform. But was this mass deplatforming actually effective in reducing the spread of untruths?

According to a paper recently published in Nature, the answer is yes. Two of the authors, David Lazer of Northeastern University and Kevin Esterling of the University of California, Riverside, joined Lawfare Senior Editor Quinta Jurecic to discuss their findings—and ponder what this means about the influence and responsibility of social media platforms in shaping political discourse.

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Transcript

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0:57.0

So we showed there's this direct effect of reduction of misinformation by

1:06.6

deplatforming these users who were heavy traffickers and

1:10.7

misinformation and then the spillover effect with less

1:13.2

misinformation circulating throughout the system and then this kind of

1:17.3

voluntary withdrawal of some of the other worst offenders leaving the

1:21.4

platform themselves.

1:22.4

It's the Law Fair Podcast. defenders leaving the platform themselves.

1:22.8

It's the Law Fair Podcast.

1:25.8

I'm Quinta Juresicic, senior editor.

1:28.6

Joined today by two political scientists, David Lazar of Northeastern University, and Kevin Esterling of the University of California

1:37.0

Riverside.

...

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